Demand for Urgent Review on Maternity Safety Intensifies in Leeds
Bereaved families call for investigation as alarming figures of preventable deaths surface.
Wes Streeting has lauded bereaved parents in Leeds for their persistent calls for an urgent review into the city's maternity safety measures following a BBC investigation that surfaced startling statistics.
The investigation revealed that over the past five years, 56 baby deaths and two maternal deaths at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH) might have been preventable.
Despite this, the health secretary refrained from committing to a review, yet acknowledged the pressing need to overhaul maternity services
The gravity of the situation was underscored by the emotional testimonies of the affected families.
Streeting described these accounts as 'shocking and chilling,' emphatically stating that it is 'completely unacceptable' for parents and their newborns to not receive the requisite care.
LTH maintains that while most births at their facilities are safe, they recognize the rarity of maternal and neonatal deaths.
In light of the BBC's findings, the health secretary expressed a resolve to enact 'swift action' to enhance maternity care, ensuring safety, personalization, and compassion, to prevent any recurrence of such 'unimaginable tragedies.'
Fiona Winser-Ramm and Dan Ramm, who lost their daughter Aliona Grace shortly after her birth at Leeds General Infirmary in 2020, were among the voices in the letter to the health secretary.
An inquest later highlighted 'gross failures' contributing directly to Aliona’s death.
The parents plan to support other grieving families through a Facebook group, as they believe more families are affected.
Accessing LTH data via Freedom of Information requests, the BBC reported 56 potentially preventable deaths between January 2019 and July 2024, broken down into 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths.
The trust attributed these numbers partly to an increasing number of complex pregnancies and severe cardiac conditions in newborns.
Notably, two palace sources within the service flagged underlining resource issues, with one expressing concerns about understaffing leading to inadequate care.
Despite being rated 'good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), there remain apprehensions about the unit’s safety.
Concerns over the independence of a CQC investigation, due to the involvement of its former chief executive Sir Julian Hartley, now heading the regulator, prompted families to call for an open review, led by Donna Ockenden, renowned for her independent reviews in Shropshire and Nottingham.
The families stressed the importance of leaving 'no stone unturned,' pushing for comprehensive, unbiased scrutiny to secure safety and accountability within the maternity units at Leeds.
The investigation revealed that over the past five years, 56 baby deaths and two maternal deaths at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTH) might have been preventable.
Despite this, the health secretary refrained from committing to a review, yet acknowledged the pressing need to overhaul maternity services
The gravity of the situation was underscored by the emotional testimonies of the affected families.
Streeting described these accounts as 'shocking and chilling,' emphatically stating that it is 'completely unacceptable' for parents and their newborns to not receive the requisite care.
LTH maintains that while most births at their facilities are safe, they recognize the rarity of maternal and neonatal deaths.
In light of the BBC's findings, the health secretary expressed a resolve to enact 'swift action' to enhance maternity care, ensuring safety, personalization, and compassion, to prevent any recurrence of such 'unimaginable tragedies.'
Fiona Winser-Ramm and Dan Ramm, who lost their daughter Aliona Grace shortly after her birth at Leeds General Infirmary in 2020, were among the voices in the letter to the health secretary.
An inquest later highlighted 'gross failures' contributing directly to Aliona’s death.
The parents plan to support other grieving families through a Facebook group, as they believe more families are affected.
Accessing LTH data via Freedom of Information requests, the BBC reported 56 potentially preventable deaths between January 2019 and July 2024, broken down into 27 stillbirths and 29 neonatal deaths.
The trust attributed these numbers partly to an increasing number of complex pregnancies and severe cardiac conditions in newborns.
Notably, two palace sources within the service flagged underlining resource issues, with one expressing concerns about understaffing leading to inadequate care.
Despite being rated 'good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), there remain apprehensions about the unit’s safety.
Concerns over the independence of a CQC investigation, due to the involvement of its former chief executive Sir Julian Hartley, now heading the regulator, prompted families to call for an open review, led by Donna Ockenden, renowned for her independent reviews in Shropshire and Nottingham.
The families stressed the importance of leaving 'no stone unturned,' pushing for comprehensive, unbiased scrutiny to secure safety and accountability within the maternity units at Leeds.
